The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-23
THE PRISON DISCLOSURES.
Chaplain Gains Resolution to ReveA
Warden Towards Rottcnness.
He Weakened, However, After Receiving Z
Token q Regard-Further Disclosures OF
Outrageously Brutal Abuse Of Conyicts.

When the ex-chaplain of the southern prison.
Rev. L. F. Cain, came here to tell all he know
concerning the management Of that institution
his information was carried to the Senate COM
mittee 1t related principally to his own acts,
and bore butt little upon the general manage
ment of the institution. He said the food was
good, the clothing of substantial quality, ana
that the management could nave been better.
He sought to extenuate biz shortcomings as re-
lieious instructor, but admitted that he "prac-
tced law, as member of the committee put
it. This of revenue, though. he says.
did not altogether let him more than $50 or $70
1t is reported through other sources that Cain
considered himself the most unpopular man
among the officers of the prison, and when he
left it to accept position in Salem it is said his
purpose was to reveal the rottenness of the in
stitution. His failure to Go this is attributed to
an after-visit to the prison, when the officials
increased their regard for him by giving watch
as a token.
The Senate committee invited the directors Of
the prison to appear but they refused They
contented themselves with an admission of their
negligence. 1t is thought by some of the com.
mittee that this is the extent of the directors
shortcomings, and that they, like everyone else
about the institution, have been the victims Of
Jack Howard. The report of the House COM
mittee is being as rapidly as possible reduced to
form and will be ready for submission to the
House Thursday afternoon or Friday morning.
The report will, it is intimated set forth many
| features of the investigation that have not been
made public, particularly in regard to the in
human abuse of convicts. 1t is stated that one
I.r& ~ Az
cation was that Of a convict against whom the
Warden held special grudge. and for slight
| offense he was hung up for four days without
| food or water. His thirst and hunger caused in
| sanity and in this condition the poor wretch
| subsisted off the wastes OF the body
While at Jacksonville examining Towards
| books. John w. Coons met Mr.. Reed, a brother
| in-law of Representative Jewett. going over to
| Louisville on ferry boat, and during theie
conversation. which related to the startling dis
| closures that had just been made, Mr.. Reed re-
marked that two years ago he had thought some
| of seeking election as director Of the southern
| prison. But he added, II was discouraged
| from becoming a candidate by Jewett, who
| begged me to nave nothing to do with the insti-
tuition, because. he said, it was the rottenest
| thing in Indiana"
among the documents on file in the State Treas
urer's Office. 1t was dated Dec Z, 1880, and
| was for a period of four years. The amount is
$4,000, and the sureties, with one exception,
are all IuenUeFS OF TIE IlOWafu FANNY VIC
names being Andrew J. Howard, George F.
Howard, Jonas G.. Howard, j. w. How
ard, Thomas J. Howard, jr., and Michael
o. Mccain. Tho bond of Matthew
l. Huetle, as prison clerk, is for $l0,-
600. 1t is dated Jan. 26 1881. and the period
for which it is given is not specified. The
sureties are Thomas Hanon, Lawrence Bradley.
| NJ A. Weir, Louis Verna and w. c. DePauw.
Expert Coons, during his visit to the prison,
was impressed with the IDEA t. at there IA q
remarkable aggregation Of captains about the
| institution. s.Nearly every man in the prison
thas-4 int. ~duced &c, he says, twas a cap
tain. Itstruck me as being little singular II
| they had been colonies wouldn't have thought
it strange. There WAS Captain Howard, Captain
Huetle, Captain Allen, Captain Baxter, Captain
Cooper, and other captains whose names l do
not remember. Only one colonel could be
found in the immediate neiehborhood. and this
was Col. George Howard brother of Capt An.
drew jackson Howard"